Regulation of care

When ongoing intervention with a child or young person and their family involves placing the child or young person away from their parents' care, the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs is required to ensure that the child is assured a safe and acceptable standard of care.

The Child Protection Act 1999 (the Act) provides the legislative framework which regulates the care provided to children when they are removed from their parents' care. It outlines the minimum requirements that Child Safety must comply with in relation to children who are placed with foster carers, kinship carers and care services. The standards for these placements are described in the Statement of Standards in the Act.

Carers and care services which provide out-of-home care for children are required to be approved or licensed by Child Safety.

To ensure accountability of Child Safety decision-making, foster and kinship carer applicants and approved foster and kinship carers have the right to have Child Safety decisions about their approval as a carer externally reviewed by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The assessment of foster and kinship carers may be undertaken by Child Safety staff, staff of foster and kinship care services or by private contractors.